a depressing statement

You may be wondering, where the heck I have been for about a month and a half. You may be thinking, "man that last post about Curious George Lopez was so damn funny, what the heck happened to Rom? He was on a roll." You may be wondering that, but in all honesty, you probably haven't wondered that. I'd like to think that people adored my blog enough to say this; unfortunately, I think that people read my blog about as much as I read other blogs. That is to say very rarely.
  The comedy of my job has began to wear thin. For almost a month and a half I was entertained by the follies and the faults of my students. It is hard to explain how I felt at the time that I started to teach. I was entertained, but saddened by the foolish responses of my students. I used their responses as fodder for my blog. This was not a malacisious and ill spirited attempt to get a laugh. More so, I beleived that there was power to comedy. In fact I still believe that there is power to comedy. I think humor is nothing more than the truth revealed in an uplifting manner and I belief that many times it is far more poignent than drama. I believed, then, and I still beleive now that my blog presented the pathetic world that was and is my students lives. I was able to laugh at how pathetic their responses were and I was able to try and help these kids as much as possible.
   As time has progressed, seeing my students failing has turned from an enjoyable pasttime to a frustrating reality.  I cannot explain how upsetting it is to see your students fail time and time again. I cannot express how disheartening it is to prepare a lesson for an hour and a half, only to have it go over the heads of all of my students. It is hurtful it is frustrating. I joined Teach For America becuase I truly believed that I have the skill sets to change the lives of my students. I suppose in a way I still believe that. Every evening I start my lesson plans believing my students are going to get something out of the lesson that I have tauhgt them. Every morning I am filled with a hope that the day will be different than the last.  Thus far my hope has provided no substance. No marked change has transpired within the lives of my children. No reading growth. No analytical enrichment, and certainly no increase in rhetoric.
   Students still believe that Barak Obama is the person who makes all of the laws in the United States. They hold fast to the notion that Maximllion Robpspierre was Frances first millioniare, and the still believe that a democracy is Curious George Lopez.
   I cannot tell you what I am accomplishing. I don't know if any lives have changed because of me. I am quite certain that anyone else could do as good or perhaps better a job than me at teaching these children. I don't know why I am doing any of this. I really don't. I couldn't tell you what I have accomplished, the only thing that I know is that I am suppossed to be here. I wish that it wasn't this way but it is. 
 

Panther Pride

Schools throughout the world show their pride differently.
For some schools, like my alma Matter Redlands High School they choose to show their pride through time honored traditions. As a result they do rediculous things such as have our graduation at the Redlands Bowl, an outdoor venue filled with an antiquated wooden benches that make the three hour procession all the more memorable.
   For others, pride is shown through excellence in academics. In La Canada, Loma Linda, and other regions heavily populated with Asian Americans, students give their all to getting striaght A's. This creates a culture of learning and again a culture of pride.
   There are also schools that take pride in athletics. Riverside Poly, for instance is a school that has produced dozens of hall of famer's such as  Reggie and Cheryl Miller, Sippy Woodhead, Barry, and Bobby Bonds. They show their might and pride on the gridiron, in the pool, and on the court.
  But what happens when you have no time honored traditions? What happens when your school lacks academic success? What happens when there is a dirth of athletic achievement? How does your school show their spirit? How does your school show your pride?
Well here at West Adams let me show you how we show our pride.


(Please Mute Your Speakers before you press play)

 Fighting

     and I dare say we are pretty darn good at what we do.

Here is my personal favorite



How did I find out about this? Well of course teaching SDC allows me to teach some of the most proud panthers in the entire school.  In fact the kid with the cast in the second video is one of my students.

until next time
Mr. E
Fighting for my kids
in SDC.

Rom your love life is nuts, but how is teaching going?

Thanks friend I am glad you can ask. Here is a link to my teaching blog.
http://mresdc.blogspot.com/

Along with my most recent story.

It is appalling to see what some of these kids write down for answers .Today I tried to explain what a democracy was through the use of an example of voting for a class mascot. I created three class mascots that included the following

 Vato Loco,

Intellectual kitten,

 and Curious George Lopez.





 I was most proud of curious George Lopez. I spliced a picture of George Lopez and put it on Curious George’s face. I thought the kids would like it, but they hated it.



Anyway, It failed miserably. Like really bad, but I guess that is the life of a first year teacher in SDC. I am not teaching to their level. I am teaching far beyond their capabilities and I am trying to see who is swimming. Thus far, not many people are swimming. This fact is exhibited by the following exit ticket. I asked, “what is a democracy?” One of the students responded with the following answer. 

                At least he remembered Curious George Lopez.

                                Until the next time, I’ll be watching my students monkey around.

Mr. E in 215.

The Curry Curse

Greetings readers,

Before I get going here I must make the following disclaimer: this is the first (and likely last) post on this blog which is not actually penned by Sir Romulous Jones the Magnificent Mormon.  With that said, I'll now proceed to break down the ever-curious "Curry Curse."

Some time ago, a colleague of mine by the name of John R. Evans informed me of this supposed curse.  I had not previously heard of anything so radical in all my days.  Professor Evans claimed to have empirical research that proved this curse to be real.  He told me, and I quote:

"Any time you take a girl out for Thai food, regardless of all other factors, it will absolutely, without-a-doubt be the last date you will ever go on with that girl."

Being one who has been on the more fortunate side of the dating scene, and also one who happens to love Thai food, I found Evans' claim to be completely nonsensical- until I tested it.

Story #1.  About this time last year I was dating a girl long-distance.  We missed each other, as might be expected, so she hopped on a plane to come spend a weekend with me.  One night that weekend we stopped at a nice Thai place for dinner.  The absurd thought that it was our last date did not even cross my mind.  As "fate" would have it, however, we broke up just a few days after she returned home.

Story #2.  Approximately six months ago I was set up on a blind date with a very attractive girl who hailed from the east coast.  Ironically, the Cupid here was everyone's favorite Rojo.  The blind date went surprisingly well, so I decided I wanted to take her out again.  We spent some time together over the next while in more casual settings before committing the curry sin, and interest was very evident from both her and me.  And then I had the brilliant idea of going out for Thai food...  I don't think I need to go into much detail here, but it will suffice to say that things fizzled about as quickly as they sizzled.  For better or worse, we both became extremely busy and that was the end of that.

Story #3.  Less than a month ago I started crushing on another would-be curry victim.  Things began slowly, but once the ball got rolling it looked like its course would be fairly tough to impede.  That is, until we went to dinner at yet another supplier of curry.  Incredulous to the idea that anything could go so wrong so quickly, I told her about the "curse" over dinner.  We laughed about it.  And then, just the very next day everything came to a swift halt and later that week she began seeing one of my good friends.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are taught in 2 Corinthians 13:1 that the truth will be made known to us by two or three witnesses.  I have given three sound accounts here (and believe me, it's happened more than three times) that should remove any doubt in your mind of the validity and reality of this curse.  I failed to mention in the individual stories that each of these relationships was not terminated immediately, but rather there was no desire to extend to another date following the deliciously poisoned Thai curry.  Every single one of these trips to get Thai food was actually very enjoyable in the moment; it was not until a few days later that I was left scratching my head.  If you have experienced the Curry Curse firsthand, please feel free to join the ever-growing online support group at www.currycurse.com.  For those who have not yet fallen prey, consider yourself warned.

Shalom

Light the Menorah, sprinkle lamb's blood over the door, and let Elijah have the last bit of meal from the widow's barrel. Jew will never guess what I did tonight...

I kissed one of the chosen people. I have wanted to do this for quite some time now. Some would say that it is a fulfillment of prophecy, like unto the rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple. Alisa Malki, the first girl that I ever really liked, was Jewish.  Ever since that moment in time I have had two things happen to me. First, I have become an enthusiast, sympathist, and advocate for Israeli causes (I consider myself somewhere in the ballpark of the man in the Good Samaritan parable and Oskar Schindler). Second, I have an itching case of Matzah ball fever. 

            I took her out on a real kosher date (excluding the fact that her lips touched goyim such as myself). We went to an El Salvadorian night club. I'm guessing that she found it really attractive that I would take her to a place where they had both the worst papusas on the planet and also some of the least attractive people sensually dancing with one another on the dance floor. After this, I taught her to skateboard (I think I'm a little bit better than her). We talked about teaching since we both teach, and then she told me about her bat mitzvah that was on a yacht.   I think that was about one of the sexiest things a woman has ever told me.

            Anyway, it was a good time. I really don’t know what is going to happen. I mean, she seems pretty freaking Jewish (as well as pretty freaking gorgeous and interesting) and I am pretty freaking Mormon, and I am not looking to marry anyone who is not of the not-chosen faith.We'll see how things go... I may just have to take her out to Thai Food.

Well, until next time.

Being circumcised in mind, heart, and body,

Rojo 

Wait you are wondering about the bit about Thai food? There is a story behind it. Let me tell you… next blog post.  

Award Winners

Hey Y'all Provo Enthusiasts,

Greetings from Los Angeles, "home of the diverse... even when you don't want it to be." I am loving Los Angeles- I have really made it my home. All that I really had to do to make it home was to simply arrive at the conclusion that I wasn't going to miss Provo anymore. To be candid, I don't miss Provo. Not at all. I do miss my friends in Provo, but the intense pressure for me to date, get married, and just act like a Mormon is completely gone.

With this stated, I am grateful for all the love you have sent my way since BYU started its Fall semester. It has been great to receive texts from you all and to hear how much you miss me. I am grateful I have such friends. So grateful in fact I have decided to give you guys awards.

                                                                   
Best Documentation of a Relationship on Instagram 
             Andy Romney & Chelsea Livermore

"Amazing," "astounding," & "unbelievable" are just a few of the adjectives used by critics to describe the ferocity with which the two of these individuals have posted pictures on Instagram. Thanks to Instagram, there has never been a question in my mind whether or not my cousin and my future cousin were still together. Whether it was the two of them swimming in the Cherry Village pool, taking a trip to California, or just walking around Provo, I always knew exactly where the two of them were and what they were doing.

(Runner Up: Alex McDonell and His Skateboard)

First Phone Response

Samantha J. Topham 

This award was a tough one to give out. Between Jake Balser, Samantha Topham, and the rotting corpse of my Grandma Pingree it was a virtual toss up. However, after sending off eight consecutive text messages and three phone calls without the slightest iota of a response, I decided that if I was going into cardiac arrest I'd just say "Screw Life Alert, I am calling Sam Topham."

Best Boiled Chicken 

Jason M. DeLange 

The thing I may miss most about not living in Provo is coming home to fresh aroma of partially thawed chicken. No sweeter smell has ever graced the olfactory senses than that of Jason's chicken. 

Happy Birthday to Kelsey Page!

Kelsey-
Not only do you get your very own blog post on my blog, but I am also going to get Google Reader just so I can follow your WordPress blog.